You’re pretty well up to date on what’s going on at our house these days – let’s dive into where we’re headed in June! On my calendar this month:— Father’s Day— Blueberry picking at our favorite local farm, hopefully many times. Not sure how we will manage this with John’s mobility, but we’re determined!— Swim lessons for June at our neighborhood pool— My parents’ 40th wedding anniversary! They’ll be with us on the big day, so, along with my sisters, I want to do something to make it special. What I’m loving right now:— This article about pandemic memories in The Atlantic is my jam, focusing as it does on the narratives we form for ourselves and how they transform the ways we move forward from hard times. “We use our memory in part to create a continuous sense of self, she told me, ‘a ‘narrative identity’ through all of life’s ups and downs: I am a person whose life has meaning and purpose. I’m more than the subject of brute forces. There’s a Story of Me.‘”— This patriotic seersucker dress is so darling I bought three of them – one sized for June to wear this year, one sized for June to wear next year, and one for baby sister to wear next year. Obsessed. Also, June wore this blue eyelet dress for her preschool graduation last week and it is also darling!— I shared this printable summer calendar from Simply on Purpose on IG yesterday. Summer days are much less predictable than they are in the school year, and with all that’s going on in our family right now, I thought it would be fun and helpful for June to see what’s going on each day, and anticipate things that are coming up! We taped it up in our

For the last several years, June has been synonymous with blueberries for our family. There’s a pick-your-own patch not too far from our house, and when the blues are in season, we try to go at least once a week. We venture out in the early evening, after work or after dinner, the golden hour when the heat has slacked just a little bit. This particular farm is magic, and the berries are so plentiful and perfect you can fill a pint without trying in about five minutes – but we always linger longer than that, enjoying the evening and each other. This is “the good stuff,” as they say, and I am so looking forward to another month of it. P.S. I’m working on a post for later this week with an (almost) mid-year update on my 2019 goals for you – lots of good progress has been made!! On my calendar this month: — Blueberry picking, of course! I’m hoping to make these muffins with our bounty. — A beach week with some of our extended family! June is SO excited to have a sleepover with her cousin MULTIPLE DAYS IN A ROW! — Filming June in June Volume 4! The hunt for the perfect song is on! What I’m loving right now: — Going to the pool! We splurged on a membership for the first time this year and are trying to go once a week. — Nancy’s podcast! And I’m not just saying that because she’s my friend :) She delivers a powerful punch in a short amount of time (usually 15-20 minutes). My favorite episode so far is number 002! — Our brother- and sister-in-law got Shep this little dish to commemorate his baptism, and I thought it was lovely. I know we’ve chatted about

One reason I love to write these monthly goal posts is because they are the best to look back on! (Much like blogging in general, actually!) I love marking where I was at a certain point in time, and being able to see how much has – or has not – changed. With a few years of monthly goals under my belt, I can now even look back to see how a particular month has changed over time. So neat! I feel good right now. I feel good about June. It’s my last extra-busy month at work before a string of really fun personal travel in July, August, and September, so it feels a bit like there’s light at the end of the tunnel. I’m ready to dig in and get some things done! (Like our loft – ahem.) What I read in May: — The Little Way of Ruthie Leming (His writing was not my favorite, but I found the story very engaging.) — Grace, Not Perfection (I breezed through this in a day and a half after hearing so many good things. I don’t think it’s the message I need most right now (I probably err on the side of giving myself too much grace, haha!), but if you love Emily, you will love this book!) — Books I’m reading throughout the year: The Power of a Praying Wife and The Lifegiving Home Revisiting my goals for May: Add to my gratitude list every day this month (I batted about 50% on this, and it made a difference!) Go camping with the Rays (postponed to June!) Take the first step in a birthday project I am working on for John Try a new workout video at least three times (didn’t get to this, but see below!) Purposefully plan

So as I mentioned in my last post, May was a bit of a busy month for me. I worked, we had visitors, I traveled, we had more visitors, and we did laundry in between it all. On a normal day, once June is in bed and we’ve eaten dinner, I usually only have about two hours, max, to get things done before it’s time for us to turn in. (These include but are not limited to hanging with John, working on Etsy orders, blogging, reading, opening mail, watching TV, meal planning, answering emails, chatting with friends or family, cleaning, and washing dishes.) I’m not explaining all that to complain, as there is nothing I’d rather do earlier in the day than hang with June, but just to give some context as to how my time has shifted a bit! I am learning that the scope of my goals also needs to shift during months like these. Even though it doesn’t look like I got much done in May, I did everything I needed to. And now onto June! :) Revisiting my goals for May: Get an estimate from one more landscaping company (I tried!! They dropped off the face of email.) Apply to our HOA to have a tree removed (See above.) Finish our will (No… sigh.) Master an updo from the Small Things archive (Nope.) Paint my toenails (Victory!! I’m glad and also a little alarmed so many of you identified with this goal.) Read “168 Hours” for the NR Book Club (Not yet.) Read two novels (Definitely not.) Plan for and enjoy our weekend trip to Bald Head Island (Planned but didn’t get to enjoy because of threat of tropical storm!) Have fun with our weekend visitors (YES!!!) June goals: — Perfect the scavenger hunt John and